A couple questions about using the virus' EQ

[Barnelby]

There is a hefty amount of info out there that suggests that it is much more valuable to cut not boost... some patches on the virus, though, have one of the EQ gain knobs at 11, and for that matter, many of the EQ presents in Logic's graphic EQ have massive boosts with wide Qs all over the place... Does anyone else adhere strictly to the cut vs boost rule of thumb or are there circumstances where massive boosts are warranted and hence included as presents professional gear?


Also, do you guys use the virus EQ to mix your stuff? i.e. do you perfect the EQ settings of your patch in the virus so that no further EQ is needed, or do you bounce things down and rely more on an EQ in your DAW?

Anyone know of any resources/good tips about using the virus style parametric EQ for mixing?

thanks!

[Timo]

I think cutting sounds more transparent and also works within existing sound levels (rather than pushing levels above the red line). Cutting frequencies also gives you the ability to surgically home in on any unwanted or annoying frequencies (using narrow Q/bandwidth values) and effectively remove them. This stops the Virus from eating all the available frequency headroom so other sounds are better able to sit with it.

Boosting employs the character of the EQ to give it a more dramatic shape, but again if you boost the low end freq's you'll also change the sound levels so you have to take this into account and lower the overall patch volume to limit clipping. Boosting higher freq's on the other hand have less influence on sound levels so you can often use these to give the patch emphasis in a mix (if needed) without necessarily affecting the overall level.

I have an Indigo v1 so no internal EQ here (although I also often use a band-reject filter in a patch for culling honky frequences within the patch itself, sometimes with key-tracking if needed, and I also use the Saturation- and Distortion-Low/HighPass types for use as global patch roll-offs), but I do use external EQ on Virus parts in the DAW to sit better with other channels.

[enossified]

Originally Posted by Barnelby

do you perfect the EQ settings of your patch in the virus so that no further EQ is needed, or do you bounce things down and rely more on an EQ in your DAW?

My preference is to bounce to audio and use the DAW EQ.

Keep in mind that the "correct" EQ for any instrument is going to depend on the mix and the listening environment. What sounds good in a particular track might sound like crap in another track. Same for live performance, what works in one room might not work in another. That's why mixing boards and guitar amps come with EQ knobs

If it's a favorite sound that you use over and over again then you definitely want to fine tune EQ outside of the Virus.

[grs]

My first goal is usually balance the oscillators instead of eq in the patch. Eq if sharing the same output with another patch, otherwise use DAW eq.
Also use mid eq in the patch if it adds to the distortion flavour.
As far as the whole mix goes the less eq you can use is often a sweeter sounding mix, the arrangement and layering of instruments can often kill a sweet mix. When listening to other peoples tracks the sparser ones hold my attention longer it seems.

[TweakHead]

Yeah, I wouldn't think of the EQ on the virus as a mixing tool... Besides using Low Pass to roll off unwanted low end from a patch, like Timo said. Mid Eq can be used for a number of things: don't forget you can even modulate it's frequency, for example - making it a useful sound-design tool on some occasions.

I usually use Eq mainly for cutting myself... I really don't like the sound of boosting when using precise digital Eqs, that's where analogue beats the shit out of digital - when pushed hard it sounds sweet where digital only sounds muddy and distorted. so if you're really into boosting with Eqs, I'd say go for analogue (modeling) ones - those with some kind of character...

[nutrinoland]

I use the Virus EQ as a part of creating the sound...I always use a separate parametric EQ on the channel after creating the sound, to fit it in the Mix. I almost never boost more than 3 dB on the parametric EQ, and I use a wide Bandwidth while boosting.

[Barnelby]

Great info guys, thanks! I have been way too reliant on the virus EQ and end up giving myself a headache trying to make things fit with it. Nice to know I've been doing it wrong.

[nutrinoland]

The Virus EQ has only a Low and High shelf and one fully parametric mid EQ...It is not as flexible and precise as a fully Parametric EQ that offers many filter types and multiple bands, to carve out an shape sounds more precisely.
Sometimes I even use 2 parametric EQ's on the same channel after I run out of Bands..